With the UN Sustainability Development Goals stalling, publishers look for ways they can move things forward, themselves: ‘Act Now.’

By Talita Facchini | @talitafacchinii

Publishers on a Sustainable Future

At Frankfurter Buchmesse, the United Nations’ Act Now campaign invited members of the international publishing industry to take concrete steps toward sustainability as it pertains to the climate crisis, from reducing plastic and paper waste to reshaping how books can change the world.

Sustainability is one of the most pressing topics in international publishing today.

How can the industry minimize its impact on the planet? What actions can truly make a difference?

These were questions raised at the United Nations’ panel Act Now: Joining Forces for a Sustainable Future in Publishing at Frankfurt. 

In the description of the session, we read a frank admission that the progress of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is seriously in trouble and doubt:

“Progress for many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) has been derailed by geopolitical conflicts, climate change, and COVID-19.

“With less than five years to achieve the SDGs, it becomes clear that everyone has to contribute if we want to create a better future for people and the planet.

“This session wants to bring back optimism despite current challenges and demonstrate that many small actions can lead to global change beyond the publishing world.”

The discussion is part of the UN’s wider Act Now campaign, a global initiative encouraging individuals and organizations to take everyday climate action—from responsible consumption to sustainable production.

And in preparation for the event at Frankfurt and the publishing world, that meant rethinking how books are created, distributed, and communicated to inspire collective change.

One of the most effective ways to begin is by following the lead of those already taking action.

• Karine Pansa, Head of Grupo Girassol Brasil and the immediate past president of the International Publishers Association (IPA), shared how her publishing house—and Brazil’s industry at large—has been working with the UN on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We brought SDG Book Club to Brazil,” Pansa says.

“All titles that relate to the SDGs—and there are many” she says, “—feature an SDG symbol printed on the back cover, “so the kids can understand what they’re doing for the Earth, for the environment, and for the future.

“Teachers tell us how important that is, and children start relating to these values just by recognizing the logos.”

• Representing Southeast Asia, Thailand’s Silkworm Books founder Trasvin Jittidecharak discussed how social media and smarter production methods can reduce waste.

Her company, she said, has been able to cut paper use through a pre-order system using discount coupons.

“You know exactly how much you can print, so you don’t overload,” she said. “Commercially, we also campaign among ourselves to save on production and logistics costs.”

• The third voice on the panel was that of Olcay Patrycja Tetik, a Bonn-based, Germany, policy and partherships specialist working on the USS Policy and Partnerships SpecialistPolicy, and a partnerships specialist at the UN SDG Action Campaign.

Tetik reminded the audience of the “parallel worlds” that coexist today in which some enjoy comfort while others have nothing. “At the UN SDG Action Campaign,” she said, “we believe each of us can bridge these worlds. Books are the best tools to do that, because they transform.”

Tetik shared details about a recent collaboration with Turkish artist Gökhan Tanç, who created a collage series portraying two parallel realities of our world, marked by growing inequality, conflict, insecurity, and injustice. The exhibition, selected as one of 13 official shows at the Triennale Milano, remains open until mid-November.

Videos and behind-the-scenes content from the ActNow Campaign are available on the ActNow portal.

So, what can every publishing professional do to start acting now?

Among the practical suggestions shared by panelists were:

Publishing at least one print-on-demand title within the next six months and reducing plastic usage.
“I think it’s perfectly possible,” said Pansa. “We can start by asking major e-commerce distributors not to require shrink-wrapping.”

“At Silkworm, we use print-on-demand for many titles,” said Jittidecharak. “We’ve eliminated plastic in our novelty and kit books, and we print only on FSC-certified paper.”

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A version of this story appeared in our Publishing Perspectives 2025 Show Magazine, which was released in its print edition on the opening day of Buchmesse, October 15.

If you couldn’t be with us in Frankfurt this year, be sure to download our PDF of the full magazine here. 

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